Free Alice-Miranda at Sea by Jacqueline Harvey

particular you’d like?’
    Neville shuffled back through the open doorway into the entrance hall and then across into the sitting room. He walked over and sat on the couch, dragging his case onto his lap.
    â€˜Ham s-s-sandwich,’ he whispered.
    â€˜Very good, sir. Would you like mustard and French fries with that?
    Neville’s stomach grumbled.
    â€˜I should think so,’ the steward said. ‘My name is Henderson, sir, and I will be looking after you for the week. My apologies that I wasn’t here to meet you when you arrived. I had some unexpected business to attend to but I’m here now and I’m sure everything will be smooth sailing from here on in.’
    Neville stared at the floor.
    â€˜Very good, Master Neville.’ The steward exited the room.
    Neville heaved a deep sigh. At least he could settle in properly, knowing he was in the right place.
    Neville was yet to discover, wedged between the writing desk and the bookshelf, his welcome letter addressed to Mr Neville Headlington-Bear.

'O h, there you are, darling.’ Cecelia Highton-Smith had glanced up from where she was sitting by the pool, talking to their gardener Harold Greening and his wife Maggie, to see her daughter skipping towards them. ‘Where have you been? The others have been in for ages. You’ve only got a few minutes and then we have to get ready for dinner.’
    â€˜Sorry, Mummy, I wanted to check that Mr and Mrs Headlington-Bear were all right and then I had to get my bathers on,’ Alice-Miranda called.
    â€˜Did you see them, darling?’ Cecelia asked.
    â€˜No, I think they must have already come up for drinks,’ Alice-Miranda replied.
    Cecelia Highton-Smith glanced around the open deck. ‘I haven’t spied them yet, but they might be inside. I’ll go and have a look.’
    Most of the guests had retreated to their suites to change for dinner. The sun blinked its last warm rays before slipping down behind the mountains. Alice-Miranda pulled her dress over her head. She closed her eyes, jumped into the pool and was embraced by the warm water.
    â€˜Where have you been?’ Millie shouted. Alice-Miranda swam over to join her friends.
    â€˜I just had to check on something,’ Alice-Miranda replied.
    The children played a quick round of Marco Polo before Cecelia reappeared and said it was time to have showers and get ready for dinner.
    â€˜Do we have to dress up tonight, Mummy?’ Alice-Miranda asked as she towelled herself off.
    â€˜No, darling. We’re having a barbecue on the Royal Deck – you can keep the formal wear in the wardrobe until later in the week.’
    â€˜So that’s what smells so delicious,’ Lucas said, sniffing the air appreciatively.
    â€˜You know, I think being on a ship is the perfect holiday for kids,’ Millie observed. ‘The grown-ups don’t have to worry about us at all – we can’t get lost, or kidnapped, or anything.’
    â€˜True,’ said Jacinta. ‘But bad luck if there’s someone on board you don’t want to see. You’re bound to meet up with them at some stage.’
    Alice-Miranda and Millie exchanged knowing looks. They both wondered how Jacinta’s parents could be on the ship and still not have bothered to seek out their daughter. It simply wasn’t right.
    â€˜Well, off you go. You’ll need to be back up on deck in half an hour for dinner,’ Cecelia commanded.

    â€˜Will you be joining the other guests on deck for dinner this evening, sir?’ Henderson asked as he cleared the empty tray. Neville had devoured his ham sandwich and French fries and left nothing behind at all – quite a feat for a young boy. ‘It’s a barbecue and I’ve heard the new chef’s a real star. I hope there’ll be leftovers for the crew.’
    Neville didn’t know what to say. It wasn’t in his nature to talk to strangers. It wasn’t